Time set control



Jan. 4, 1949. F. R. VAN SICKLE 2,453,322

TIME SET CONTROL Filed June 24, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. flmivirwvfi. hwiaezi,

A TTOENEY.

Jan. 4, 1949.

F. R. VAN SICKLE TIME SET CONTROL 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY 1949: F. R. VAN SICKLE 2,453,322

TIME SET CONTROL Filed June 24, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. FWMUNZZ ZMZ'GILE;

A T70FAW Patented Jan. 4, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TIME SET CONTROL FranklinR. Van Sickle, Beech Grove, Ind.

Application June 24, 1946, Serial'No. 678,966

20 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to'a time set control, and more specifically to means for controlling an electric circuit, so designed that it may be set to close the circuit at a. specific hour, and to re-open the circuit after a specific period, the time when the circuit is closed and the duration of that period being independently adjustable. While my invention is admirably adapted to accomplish that functioninzan improved fashion, it will be recognized that. the mechanism may be usedin numerous associations, and that the specific hour" may befrequently recurrent, and the period may be very short. The cycle of the mechanism may be of any desired extent. Customarily, that cycle will be 12 hours,pthough it may be 24 hours, or a very much shorter period, if, for instance, the mechanism" is to be used for flashing a signal. The time extent of a complete cycle of the mechanism will depend, of course, upon the speed of the driving meansand/or the gear ratio between the driving means and the mechanism of my invention; and these factors may be chosen at will.

The invention will probably find its most important application in the control of electric ranges, radios, electric signs, and thelike; and therefore it will normally be driven by a. clock mechanism; but that is not an essential feature of the invention. My invention may readily be built into the housin of a clock, although it may equally well be built into a separate housing for association with a clock or any other suitable driving mechanism; and therefore it has been illustrated, and will herein be described, as enclosed in a clock casing and driven from an element of the clock mechanism.

The objects of the invention, in addition to those above-described, are to simplify and improve the construction of signalling switch mechanisms.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of 2 stantially on the line 33 of Fig. 1 and lookingin the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the nested heads of: the two controlling spindles;

Fig. 5-is a sectiontaken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig: 3;

Fig. 6 is asection taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig.7 is a section taken substantially on the line of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a section taken substantially on the line 8.-8'of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 9 is asection. taken substantially on the line'9--9 of Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be'seen that I have illustrated a clock casing l0" which, in theillustrated embodiment, houses an electrically driven clock mechanism ener ized through an electrical. lead H. As illustrated, an electrical socket I3, having blade-receiving apertures I4, is built into the casing Ill, said socket having electrically connected thereto leads I5 and [6 which extend to the circuit controlling mechanism indicated generally by thereference numeral l1, and likewise built into the clock casing. If desired, a hand switch l8 may be provided for dominating the leads I5 and IS.

A base H! of electrically-non-conductive material is suitably secured, according to the illustrated embodiment, upon the inner surface of the rear wall of the clock casing l0, and is formed with a journal bore 20 therethrough in which is journal'mounted a hollow spindle 2|, the clock casing [0 being apertured to register with said bore 20. Outside the casing, a knob 22 is supported upon the spindle 2 I, being splined thereon in the manner illustrated at 23 in Fig. 9, or otherwise suitably secured against relative rotation with respectthereto. As shown, the knob 22 may be, formed with an annular socket receiving a coiled spring 24 confined between wear plates 25 and 26, respectively, located between the knob 22 and the wall of. the casing l0 and at the base of the spring-receiving socket. The spring 24 is desirable to hold the parts against possible chattering, butis by no means essential to my invention.

Base I9 isformed with a second bore 21 intersecting the bore 2|]; and a brake shoe 28 is reciprocably received at the inner end of said bore and frictionally bears against the outer surface of the spindle 2|, being resiliently urged thereagainst by a spring ZBreceived in the bore 2] and backed by a plug 30 adjustably threadedly received in the outer end of the bore 21.

At its inner end, the spindle 2| is formed to provide an enlarged head, indicated generally by the reference numeral 3|, and comprising a metallic element 32 having a continuous annular bottom portion 33, but having a peripheral extent, above said bottom portion, less than 360; said element 32 having molded thereupon a ring 34 of electrically-non-conductive material. The outer periphery of the head 3| is continous, being partially formed of the non-conductive element 34 and partially formed of the metallic element 32.

As is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, the end face of the head 3| comprises an annular trackway, substantially one-half of the peripheral extent of which comprises electrically-non-conductive material, while the other half thereof comprises electrically-conductive material. The portion of said trackway formed on the element 34 is inclined or cammed in an axial direction, as at 35, and terminates in a sharp declivity 35 at the juncture of said portion with the portion of the trackway formed on the metallic element 32. The portion 3! of said trackway formed on the element 32 is similarly cammed or axially inclined as at 31 and similarly terminates in a sharp declivity 38 at the juncture thereof with the low point of the surface 35.

The head 3| is formed with a central cavity 89 for a reason which will later become apparent.

At diametrically spaced points, the base of said cavity is formed with axially extending pockets 40 and 4|, and metallic brush members 42 and 43 carried by a ring 42 are received in said pockets to move with the Spindle 2|, The base I8 is formed to provide an annular groove 44 immediately surrounding the bore 28, and a metallic ring 45 is received in said groove, the rings 42 and 45 being always in electrical contact. A slot or notch 46 is formed in the base I9 to accommodate a down turned portion 4! of a finger 48 projecting radially from said ring 45 and integral therewith; and said finger (and therefore the ring 45) may preferably be secured in place by a rivet 49 passing through said finger and through a portion of the base I9. One of the wires I5 or I6 will be electrically connected to the terminal finger 48.

Upon a suitable annular seat formed on the base I9 there is mounted another annular ring 50, concentric with, but radially spaced from, the ring 45; and said ring 58 is provided with a radially projecting terminal finger 5| to which the other of said wires I5 and I6 will be electrically connected. Said ring 59 is positioned for registration with the continuous bottom ring portion 33 of the metallic element 32.

Resting upon the base of socket 39 is a metallic ring 52 formed, as is most clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 6, with a pair of down turned brushes 53 and 54 adapted to register with, and to engage, the brushes 42 and 43, respectively. The ring 52, of course, will turn with the spindle 2 I.

Journal mounted in the hollow I55 of the spindle 2| is a second spindle I56 having a portion I51 projecting beyond the outer end of said spindle 2| and formed with a transverse bore I58. A manipulating knob I59 may be mounted upon said projection I51 and, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, is provided with a transverse bore I69 adapted to register with the bore I58 and to receive a screw IBI which may also secure in place upon the knob an indicator piece I62 having a finger I63. At its inner end, the spindle I56 carries an enlarged head 55 nested in the socket 39 of the spindle head 3|. Ap proximately one-half of the periphery of the head 55 is defined by a metal element 56 whose bottom face comprises the continuous metal annulus 51 which rests always in contact with the ring 52. Molded upon said annulus 51 is the electrically-noil-conductive element 58 which makes up the remainder of the periphery of the head 55.

Referring again, to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the end faces of the elements 56 and 58 are formed to provide an annular trackway made up of the inclined portion 59 terminating in the sharp declivity 60, and the inclined portion 6| terminating in the sharp declivity 62. In order to minimize arcing, the upper end of the portion SI of the element 56 is undercut, as at 93, to define a shallow edge 64, the undercut being filled by the non-conductive material of the element 58. The end 38 of the portion 37 of the element 32 will preferably be similarly formed.

The head 55 is centrally formed with a socket 65 in which is journalled one end of a shaft 66, the other end of which is journalled in a suitable hanger 61 carried by the casing wall I8. The shaft 66 has secured thereto a gear 68 which will mesh with a driving pinion 69. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the pinion 69 is any suitable element of the clock mechanism, and the element chosen, and its ratio to the gear 68, are such, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, that the gear 68 and shaft 65 will make one revolution in 12 hours; but it will be obvious that the factors controlling the frequency of the gear 68 may be chosen as desired.

Upon a squared portion of the shaft 65 is mounted a follower block II! which, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, is cylindrical, but which may take any desired form. As

is most clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, an opening II is formed through the block I6 upon a line parallel to the shaft axis. Reciprocably mounted in said opening II is a plunger 12 Whose lower end is turned rearwardly, as at I3, with respect to the direction of rotation of the block I0, and carries an axle 74 upon which is mounted a roller I5. The opening II is so formed as to register with the trackway upon the head 3 I, so that the roller I5 will ride the cammed surfaces 35 and 31. The plunger is formed with a longitudinally extending socket I5 upon the bottom of which bears one end of a spring I? received in said socket; and a slot I8 opens from said socket through one side wall of the plunger.

A similar opening I9 is formed through the block III at a point spaced from the opening II, and a plunger 8|] is reciprocably mounted in said opening I9. The lower end of the plunger is turned rearwardly as at 8| and carries an axle 82 upon which is mounted a roller 83. The opening I9 registers with the trackway formed on the head 55 so that the roller 83 will ride upon the cammed surfaces 59 and BI thereof. The plunger 86 is formed with a longitudinally extending socket 84 in which is received a spring 85 bearing upon the bottom thereof; and a slot 86 opens from said socket through one side wall of the plunger,

From an inspection of Fig. 5, it will be seen that the axes of the openings II and 19 are formed upon a chordal line spaced forwardly, in the direction of rotation of the block I8, from a parallel radius of said block; and that the rearwardly turned feet I3 and SI of the plungers I2 and 80' are so proportioned and designed that the axles Hand 82 are disposedin the said radius parallel to the chordal line common to the openings II and 19. Thereby, the rollers and 83 are held in tangency to the center lines of the trackways upon which they ride.

The openings II and 19 and the plungers I2 and 80 are preferably rectangular in cross section in order to prevent possible oscillation of said plungers about their longitudinal axes. A bridge piece 8! is formed with oppositely extending Wings 88 and 89 which extend throughthe slots I8 and 86 and into the sockets l6 and 84 to provide abutments for the upper ends of the springs 11 and 85, said wing piece being secured in place upon the block I9 by a screw 90 entering a tapped socket 9| located between the openings H and. I9. In order to avoid the subjection of the springs I1 and 85 to carrying material amounts of current, I prefer to insert metallicliner fingers 92 and 93 behind the plungers I2 and 80, said fingers engaging substantial proportions of the lengths of said plungers at all times, and being electrically connected to each other through the bridge piece 81. As illustrated, the fingers 92 and 93 are integral with said bridge piece, as are also metallic fingers 94 and 95 which are inserted in the openings Hand 79 in front of the plungers 12 and 80, and. which also engage substantial proportions of the lengths of said plungers. I deem it advantageous to make the piece comprising the bridge piece 8! and the fingerds 92, 93, 94 and 95 of resilient, highly conductive material, so that the finger pairs 92 and 94 and 93 and 95 will resiliently grip the respective plungers tightly enough to maintain electrical contact at all times, though not tightly enough to interfere materially with free reciprocation of said plungers in their open IDgS.

Preferably, at a point diametrically removed from the plungers, the block I0 will be formed with a socket 96 receiving a counterweight 91 whichmay be held in place by a screw 98, to balance the block against the effect of said plungers. In the particular embodiment of my invention illustrated, a time scale 99 is formed upon the periphery of the knob 22, and a duration scale |0| is formed upon its exposed face. I prefer to provide a screening curb I02 upon the casing wall to surround the inner end of the knob 22, and that curb may be formed with a pointer I00 cooperatively positioned with respect to the scale 99. Of course, the pointer I63 movable with the knob |59 is cooperatively positioned with respect to the scale |0|.

Obviously, the gear will be so associated-with the pinion 68, and with the knob 22, that when the clock hands point to 12 oclock and the figure "12 on the scale 99 registers with the pointer I30, the roller 15 will have just dropped off the declivity 36 at the end of the cammed surface 35, and so into contact with the conductive surface 31. It will be seen that the declivities 36, 38, 60 and 62 do not rest upon common diametrical planes, but are backed slightly away therefrom so that, when a roller strikes the surface 3! or the surface 6|, its point of contact will be in a diametrical plane including the declivity 38 or 92.

Similarly, the head 55 and the knob I59 are so associated with the head 3| that, when the pointer I53 points to zero on the scale I 0|, the declivity GZ will register with the declivity 36, so that the conductive surfaces 31 and BI are completely outof registry. Thus, when the pointer I63 registers with the numeral 360 on the scale |0I, the declivity 62 will register with the declivity 38, and the conductive surfaces 3! and Iii will be in registry throughout 180. When the parts are in the relative positions illustrated in Fig. 4, the pointer I63 will register with the figure 180 on the scale |0|. Assuming a 12 hour cycle, the conductive surfaces of the two heads will then be in registry over a path traversed by the plungers I2 and in three hours.

If, now, it be assumed that the mechanism is suitably connected to a source of electrical energy, and that the figure 9 on the scale 99 registers with the pointer I00, while the pointer I63 registers with the figure on the scale IDI, and if it be assumed that it is earlier than 6 oclock, the heads 3| and 55 will be substantially in the relative positions illustrated in Fig. 4. The roller 83 will be on the surface 59 close to the declivity 60, and the roller I5, of course, will be on the surface 35 in radial alignment with the roller 83. Precisely at 6 oclock, the roller 83 will drop off the declivity G0 and into electrical contact with the conductive surface SI of the head 55, whereby said roller and its plunger will be electrically connected, through the ring 52, brushes 40, 4|, 42 and 43, ring 42, and ring 45, to that wire connected to the terminal finger 48. Since, however, the roller I5 is still in engagement with the nonconductive surface 35, no circuit will thereby be established.

During the three succeeding hours, the rollers 5 and 83 will slowly traverse the surfaces 35 and BI until the roller I5 drops oif the declivity 36 into contact with the conductive surface 31. Thereby, said roller I5 and its plunger will be electrically connected, through the ring 59, to that wire which is connected to the terminal finger 5|; and the two wires Will be bridged through the roller 15, plunger I2, liner fingers 94 and 92, bridge piece 81, liner fingers 93 and 95, plunger 80, and roller 83.

As the follower block I0 moves slowly on, the rollers will continue to move along the conductive surfaces 6| and 31 until the roller 83 drops off the declivity 62 into engagement with the nonconductive surface 59, whereby the circuit will be broken.

I claim as my invention:

1. A time-set control switch mechanism comprising a first circular trackway and a second circular trackway, a portion of a continuous surface of each of said trackways comprising electrically-conductive material and a portion of such surface of each trackway comprising electrically-non-conductive material, said trackways being mounted for independent adjustment about a common axis, a follower mounted for rotation about said axis, means for driving said follower at constant speed, an electrically-conductive element carried by said follower and bearing constantly on said surface of said first trackway, a second element carried by said follower and bearing constantly on said surface of said second trackway, electrically-conductive bridge means constantly in electrical contact with said elements, and separate stationary terminal members constantly in electrical contact with the conductive portions of said trackway surfaces, respectively.

2. A time-set control switch mechanism comprising a first circular trackway and a second trackway, a portion of a continuous surface of each of said trackways comprising electricallyconductive material and a portion of such surface of each trackway comprising electrically nonconductive material, said trackways being mounted for independent adjustment about a common axis, a shaft journalled for rotation upon said common axis, means for driving said shaft at constant speed, a block carried on said shaft, said block being formed with a pair of openings therethrough, said openings registering, respectively, with said trackway surfaces, a plunger reciprocably mounted in each of said openings, abutment means removably secured to said block and bridging said plungers, spring means for each of said plungers, confined between said respective plungers and said abutment means and resiliently urging said plungers into contact with said trackway surfaces, respectively, said plungers and said abutment means establishing, at times, an electrically-conductive path between said trackway surfaces, and separate stationary terminal members constantly in electrical contact with the conductive portions of said trackway surfaces, respectively.

3. In the device of claim 2, counterbalance means carried by said block at a point diametrically opposed to said plungers.

4. In the device of claim 2, rollers carried by said plungers at the bases thereof and directly engaging said trackway surfaces.

5. The device of claim 2 in which said block openings are offset from a radial line inthe direction of rotation of said shaft, in which each of said plungers terminates, at its end remote from said abutment means, in a foot turned rearwardly relative to the direction of rotation of said shaft, in which the foot of each plunger carries an axle disposed in a line radial with respect to said shaft, and in which a roller is mounted on each such axle and is pressed by said spring means resiliently into contact with said surface of its associated trackway.

6. In a device of the class described, a base formed with a journal opening therethrough, a hollow spindle journalled in said opening, means moving with said spindle and providing an annular, axially-facing surface, a portion of said surface comprising electrically-conductive material and another portion thereof comprising electrically-non-conductive material, a second spindle journalled within the hollow of said firstnamed spindle for rotation independently of said first-named spindle about a common axis, means moving with said second spindle and providing an annular, axially-facing surface concentric with said first-named surface, a portion thereof comprising electrically-conductive material and another portion thereof comprising electricallynon-conductive material, a follower mounted in facing relation to said surfaces for rotation on said common axis, means for driving said follower at constant speed, separate electrically-connected, electrically-conductive means carried by said follower and respectively continuously contacting said surfaces, separate stationary terminals, and means continuously establishing electrical contact between said terminals and the electrically-conductive portions of said surfaces, respectively.

7. The device of claim 6 in which the conductive portion and the non-conductive portion of each of said surfaces come into juxtaposition in planes normal to said common axis and differently spaced from said follower.

'8, The device of claim 6 in which the conductive portion and the non-conductive portion of each of said surfaces come into juxtaposition in planes normal to said common axis and differently spaced from said follower, and in which said separate means carried by said follower are independentl reciprocable in lines parallel to said common axis.

9. The device of claim 6 in which the conductive portion and the non-conductive portion of each of said surfaces come into juxtaposition in planes normal to said common axis and differently spaced from said follower, and in which said separate means carried by said follower are independently reciprocable in lines parallel to said common axis, and means resiliently pressing said separate means respectively into contact with said surfaces.

10. In the device of claim 6, brake means frictionally engaging said first-named spindle.

11. The device of claim 6, in which said base is formed with a bore intersecting said journal opening, a brake shoe reciprocably mounted in said bore for engagement with said hollow spindie, a spring mounted in said bore and urging said shoe into such engagement, and a plug threadedly mounted in said bore and comprising an adjustable abutment for said spring.

12. A time-set control mechanism comprising a first circular trackway and a second circular trackway, a portion of a continuous surface of each of said trackways comprising electricallyconductive material and a portion of such surface of each trackway comprising electricallynon-conductive material, said trackways being mounted for independent adjustment about a common axis, a follower mounted for rotation about said axis, means for driving said follower at constant speed, said follower being formed with a pair of openings therethrough registering, respectively, with said trackway surfaces, a plunger of electrically-conductive material reciprocably mounted in each of said openings, each of said plungers being formed with a socket providing an abutment facing away from said trackways and having, in its side facing the other plunger, a slot opening into said socket, a spring received in the socket of each plunger and bearing against such abutment, an electrically-conductive bridge piece secured to said follower and having portions entering said plunger sockets through said slots and abutted by said springs, electrically-conductive liners entered respectively in said openings, engaging a substantial portion of the lengths of said respective plungers and electrically connected to said bridge piece, said springs urging said plungers continuously into engagement with said trackway surfaces, respectively. and separate stationary terminal members constantly in electrical contact with the conductive portionsof said trackway surfaces, respectively.

13. The device of claim 12 in which said liners are integral with said bridge piece.

14. The device of claim 12 in which each of said liners is a. metal piece comprising opposed fingers biased toward each other and gripping its associated plunger therebetween.

15. In a device of the class described, a base of electrically-non-conductive material formed with a journalopening therethrough, a hollow spindle mounted in said opening, a substantially continuous metallic ring carried by said base and surrounding said spindle, a brush carried by said spindle in contact with said ring, means moving with said spindle and having an end face presenting an annular surface one portion of which is electrically-conductive and another portion of which is electrically-non-conductive, a second metallic ring concentric with said first-named ring and carried by said base, means providing continuous electrical contact between said conductive surface portion. and said second ring, a second spindle journal mounted in said hollow spindle for independent rotation with respect thereto about a common axis, means moving with said second spindle and having an end face presenting an annular surface concentric with said first-named annular surface, one portion of said last-named surface being electrically-conductive and another portion thereof being electricallynon-conductive, a metallic ring interposed between said spindles and having means constantly in electrical contact with said brush, said lastnamed ring being constantly in electrical contact with the conductive portion of said last-named annular surface, and means rotating at constant speed about said common axis for electrically bridging, at times, the conductive portions of said annular surfaces when said portions are in radial registry.

16. In a device of the class described, a base of electrically-non-conductive material and formed with a journal opening therethr-ough, a hollow spindle mounted in said opening, a substantially continuous metallic ring carried by said base and surrounding said spindle, a brush carried by said spindle in contact with said ring, said spindle being provided with an enlarged, centrally recessed head formed at its inner end to provide a metal annulus, and formed at its outer end to provide an annular surface of metal, electrically joined to said metal annulus, for a part of its peripheral extent and of electrically-non-conductive material for the remainder of its peripheral extent, a second metallic ring concentric with said firstnamed ring and carried by said base, said metal annulus registering with and engaging said second metallic ring, a second spindle journal mounted in said hollow spindle for independent rotation with respect thereto about a common axis, said second spindle being provided with a head received in the recess of the head of said hollow spindle and formed at its inner end to provide a metal annulus and formed at its outer end to provide an annular surface, formed of metal electrically joined to said last-named metal annulus, for a part of its peripheral extent and of electrically-non-conductive material for the remainder of its peripheral extent, a metallic ring moving with said hollow spindle, engaging the metal annulus of said second spindle and formed for continuous electrical contact with said brush, and means rotating at constant speed 10 about said common axis for electrically-bridging, at times, the metallic portions of said annular surfaces when said portions are in radial registry.

1?. The device of claim 16 in which each portion of each annular surface is axially inclined, and terminates, at its juncture with the next adjacent portion, in an abrupt axial step.

18. In a device of the class described, an element driven by a clock mechanism, a member mounted for manual adjustment about the axis of rotation of said element, said member presenting, toward said element, an annular surface substantially one-half of whose peripheral extent is metallic, the remainder of the peripheral extent of said surface being electrically-nonconductive, a second member mounted for manual adjustment about said axis and presenting, toward said element, an annular surface substantially one-half of whose peripheral extent is metallic, the remainder of the peripheral extent of said surface being electrically-non-conductive, means electrically connecting the metallic portions of said surfaces, respectively, to the two sides of a source of electrical energy, and electrically-conductive means carried by said element and travelingly engaging both of said annular surfaces upon a common line radial to said axis.

19. In the device of claim 18, a reference point, a manually engageable unit operatively associated with said first member and carrying a time scale movable past said reference point in cooperative relation thereto, and a second manually engageable unit operatively associated with said second member, one of said units carrying a duration scale and the other carrying an indicator in cooperative relation to said duration scale.

20. In a device of claim 18, a reference point, a shifting knob carried by said first member and provided with a time scale on its periphery, said knob being mounted with its periphery closely adjacent said reference point, a second shifting knob carried by said second member and located closely adjacent an end face of said first knob, a duration scale marked on said knob face, and an indicator moving with said second knob in cooperative relation with said duration scale.

FRANKLIN R. VAN SICKLE.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Pierce May 12, 1925 Number 

